30 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



pasturage and plenty of hay, but nothing to eat up either grass 

 or hay, and we have to sell the crop. We want these pupils to 

 study the laws of breeding ; and if we had but a single pair of 

 each one of the improved breeds of cattle, sheep and horses, 

 for the purposes of experiment, think how easy it would be to 

 acquire information here ! You could get more knowledge, in 

 a walk of half an hour through a barn with that man [Mr. 

 Stockbridge, who entered the room at this moment], tlian in 

 a lifetime out of books. I would not give a cent for the 

 opinion of a man whose judgment is based solely on books. 

 He must know the difference between a good animal and a 

 bad animal of the same breed, and between an animal of one 

 breed and an animal of another breed. Now, we have books 

 and lecturers, and these students are being taught, eloquently, 

 in theory ; but they must come down to things. It is impossi- 

 ble to teach a man natural science without specimens. 



We need also for the farm here — oh, how much ! — money 

 for draining, fencing, grading, planting. We ought to jDlant 

 orchards, vineyards, a botanic garden ; and we could spend a 

 few thousand dollars in that work so as to make a beautiful 

 show in a year or two. These students are all ready to do the 

 work, if somebody will only give them the means. 



I have thus laid before you as many things as I think it will 

 do to talk about now, for fear you will forget some of them. 

 I beg pardon for occupying so much time ; it is only because I 

 believe you are the true, earnest friends of this college ; and if 

 it ever succeeds, it will be because it has help and sympathy 

 from the farmers of Massachusetts. When I talk to you, I talk 

 to the farmers of Massachusetts. Somebody said, many years 

 ago, to Hon. John Brooks of Princeton, in regard to some pro- 

 ject for agricultural improvement, " Why, you can't get this 

 thing through the legislature." His reply was, " I tell you, 

 whatever the farmers of Massachusetts say they want, the legis- 

 lature will grant." It always has been so, and I believe it will 

 be so for some years, at least, to come. Therefore, I hope you 

 will make up your minds as to what this college should have, 

 then have the wants of the college made your wants, and your 

 wants the wants of the farmers of tlie State, and then the legis- 

 lature will grant whatever is necessary to carry out these plans, 

 and to obtain these things which are so essential to our success. 



